Part 1: Origin of hostility between Pūrṇamegha and Sulocana

Then the Blessed One, the Jineśvara Ajita, attended by gods and asuras, came and stopped^[1] in a garden of the city Sāketa. The Lord delivered a sermon to the Indras and other gods, and to Sagara and other kings, seated in their proper places.

At that time on Mt. Vaitāḍhya Sahasraḍrś, recalling with anger his father’s murder, slew Pūrṇamegha, like a garuḍa a snake. Pūrṇamegha’s son, Ghanavāhana, escaped from him and came to the samavasaraṇa. After he had circumambulated the Blessed One three times and had bowed to him, he sat down at his feet like a traveler at the foot of a tree. Saying, “I’ll drag him up from Pātāla, or pull him down from heaven, or tear him away from the strongest protection, and kill him,” Sahasrākṣa came right after him, his weapon raised, into the samavasaraṇa and saw Ghanavāhana. By the power of the Supreme Lord his anger was appeased and, after bowing to him and circumambulating him, he sat down in the proper place, his weapon abandoned.

The Cakrabhṛt Sagara asked the Supreme Lord, “What was the cause of the enmity between Pūrṇamegha and Sunetra, O Master?” The Blessed One related as follows:

“Once upon a time in the city Ādityābha there lived a merchant, named Bhāvana, master of crores of money. The merchant Bhāvana turned over all his money to his son Haridāsa and went to a foreign country to trade. When the merchant Bhāvana had stayed twelve years in the foreign country and had acquired great wealth, he came back and stopped outside the city. Leaving his retinue there, Bhāvana came alone at night to his own house. For eagerness is very powerful. As he entered, he was struck down by a sword-thrust by his son terrified by the idea ‘He is a thief.’ When do people of little wit reflect? Knowing then his own murder Bhāvana died with enmity produced at that time. Afterwards Haridāsa realized it was his father and, tormented by remorse, performed the funeral rites, grieved by his act. After some time had passed Haridāsa died, and then they both wandered through several painful births. By performing some good deed, Bhāvana’s jīva became Pūrṇamegha and Haridāsa’s jīva became Sulocana. The fatal hostility of Pūrṇamegha and Sunetra which was created in this way in a former birth was a necessary consequence in this world, O King.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

I am inclined to think that the verb ‘samavasṛ’ really means that the whole business of the samavasaraṇa took place. One was erected, as is evident from the context immediately following. I think the translation ‘came and had a samavasaraṇa erected’ would be justified when ‘samavasṛ’ is used in this context.